Parliamentarians across party lines on Tuesday demanded that the mysteries of what one MP, K.T.S Tulsi, termed “the great Indian spit” be revealed through a scientific study.
He held the view that the Indian habit of spitting was the cause of many communicable diseases. The matter was raised during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha to which the Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, could only promise that he would issue an advisory on a ban to various States.
The MPs, however, pressed on, denouncing the habit. Mohammad Nadimul Haque, MP, from the Trinamool Congress was particularly scathing.
“Sir, India is a spitting country. We spit when we are bored; we spit when we are tired; we spit when we are angry or we spit just like that. We spit anywhere and everywhere and we spit at all times and at odd hours. Sir, we know the harm of smoking. But, we are yet to find out the harm of spitting. Very few studies have been done,” he said.
The Minister agreed with Mr. Haque, and said he would hold an inter-sectoral meet on the issue soon. This did not satisfy some other members.
Odia superstar and MP from the Biju Janata Dal Anubhav Mohanty would not allow the Minister to end the issue with a promised meeting. “Will the government ignore or deny that spitting is more because of eating or chewing of pan and tobacco? Will the Government plan to ban tobacco and pan completely so that spitting decreases and the rising number of cancer patients decreases?” he asked.
Mr. Tulsi demanded that people found openly spitting should be handed a broom as punishment and asked to clean up the area. “This is not a light issue. This has come to be known in the whole world as the great Indian spit. This is the ugliest of habits which cannot go with ‘Incredible India’.
The largest number of TB patients are found in India. One-third of the total TB patients in the whole world are here. Even China is behind us,” he said. Mr. Nadda assured the MPs his Ministry would be sending an advisory to all States to move in that direction.
Corrections & Clarifications:
A previous version of this article erroneously gave the name of a Member of Parliament from the Biju Janata Dal as Abhinav Mohanty. It should have been Anubhav Mohanty .
